prophecypro
Hollywood North
He’s diverse enough of a producer and wouldn’t seeing be an issue depending on Jay’s mind
Nas Is Already ‘Halfway Through’ His Next Album With Hit-Boy
- Thread starter KingsOfKings
- Start date
He’s diverse enough of a producer and wouldn’t seeing be an issue depending on Jay’s mind
No he is not lol
FruitOfTheVale
Superstar
Having real authentic chemistry with a producer who you know understands the sound you want to do >>>>>>>>>> all that other shyt.
That being said, I only really fw KD3 like that out of all the Hit Boy projects and that's mainly due to Nas's performance on it. I like Hit Boy's production but he rarely gets experimental, his production stays in a firmly commercial, glossy type of lane. Even his "gritty" beats have a commercial sheen to them you'd expect from someone who regularly gets big placements. Nasir is about as "experimental" of commercial type production that Nas ever rapped over, and that type of experimental clearly didn't favor Nas outside of 1 or two tracks. "Adam and Eve" was the dopest track off that album imo, also one of Nas's only recent tracks where I really felt like he leaned into his creativity.
However, that goes back to what I said earlier... Nas wants that hi-fidelity commercial sound right now. His lyrical content right now is not grimy, experimental nor emotionally charged enough to merit the type of sound that Alchemist nine times out of ten is gonna do. Yeah, you can point to the "light" production he just did for Larry June and say Al could tailor his sound to fit Nas's current direction, but... would you really want that? At Nas's current point in his life, I highly doubt you're going to extract "Take It In Blood" from him in 2023 for even one track, never mind a whole album. That's the Nas I'd love to hear over Alc production... that ship been sailed, Nas ain't a young man anymore.
That being said, I only really fw KD3 like that out of all the Hit Boy projects and that's mainly due to Nas's performance on it. I like Hit Boy's production but he rarely gets experimental, his production stays in a firmly commercial, glossy type of lane. Even his "gritty" beats have a commercial sheen to them you'd expect from someone who regularly gets big placements. Nasir is about as "experimental" of commercial type production that Nas ever rapped over, and that type of experimental clearly didn't favor Nas outside of 1 or two tracks. "Adam and Eve" was the dopest track off that album imo, also one of Nas's only recent tracks where I really felt like he leaned into his creativity.
However, that goes back to what I said earlier... Nas wants that hi-fidelity commercial sound right now. His lyrical content right now is not grimy, experimental nor emotionally charged enough to merit the type of sound that Alchemist nine times out of ten is gonna do. Yeah, you can point to the "light" production he just did for Larry June and say Al could tailor his sound to fit Nas's current direction, but... would you really want that? At Nas's current point in his life, I highly doubt you're going to extract "Take It In Blood" from him in 2023 for even one track, never mind a whole album. That's the Nas I'd love to hear over Alc production... that ship been sailed, Nas ain't a young man anymore.
prophecypro
Hollywood North
He is
prophecypro
Hollywood North
I would say the records people were complaining about here on Magic 2 are experimental and even they are contemporary
As for Nas content, yeah he’s not in that super experimental lyric bag of even the 00s I don’t know if he needs to be . He showed flashes but as you said people are gonna expect one thing that ain’t even there no more even if he gets with Al
Starting to feel like this is a Guru and Solaar type a situation since they wanna be the new Gangstarr so bad
jokes aside, New album is alright, at this stage in his career if Nas wants to only work with Hit boy, god bless, he can do as he pleases, he gave us enough dopeness to be goat FOREVER
jokes aside, New album is alright, at this stage in his career if Nas wants to only work with Hit boy, god bless, he can do as he pleases, he gave us enough dopeness to be goat FOREVER
FruitOfTheVale
Superstar
This is about the most imaginative I've heard Nas rap in many years. However, as evidenced by his output on his last 5 albums, it's not really representative of where he is. Artistically he comes off like somebody who's fully made peace with the trauma energy that fueled a lot of his early output. The energy on Magic 2 is a dude rapping because it gives him joy, not somebody rapping in the middle of processing some fukked up shyt.
I see it as honest to where he's at, Hit Boy's production fits the theme of reflecting on his great Hip Hop memories and leveling up very well. At the end of the day, coming from Nas, there's an audience for that who will appreciate going down memory lane. Why compete with young dudes at their own game when you can cater to an audience who already got love for you and fundamentally relates to your current speed. He already went through his "statement" phase too (Untitled, HHID, etc.) so he's not necessarily that interested in going in a more conceptual direction either.
DontEemTry
Superstar
Agree with most of this. Quiet as kept I keep seeing nikkas talking about different "vibes" of these albums and I don't see it. Content wise every recent Nas joint is like 75% talking about the old days in QB and naming various gangsters from that era, and 25% flossin. And repeat.
I'm not mad at that, because I once heard KRS say a dope emcee can make reciting the alphabet sound dope. And that's a fact.
What people see as a lack of hunger from these projects is just Nas being in a good place. He's rich as fukk and happy as shyt. We not ever getting IWW Nas back. nikkas need to deal with it.
prophecypro
Hollywood North
Easily the best track on the album and something you put on a best of Nas. If it wasn’t for Echo that year it might have been the best thing he did in a couple of years
And you’re right. This record has a lot of wealth and OG perspective he did on the Hit Boy albums but maybe with less bright disposition
I’m not sure how both it them are gauging the reaction of this album or if it’s too early or large enough but I’m curious if it affects their direction
I will say though, I don’t know if sonically competing with young dudes is not just him wanting to have fun and push himself. The response certainly in the beginning seemed like that’s what some people got cause they praised him for it
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And not a lyric would be written.
Nas been done told us time and time again that the 90’s boom bap phase of his career is OVER. He has zero interest in remaking Illmatic or going anywhere NEAR that sound again. And when he did it for the purposes of the 50th anniversary nobody gave a fukk, because we’ve already been there and done that.
It really is time to face the fact that the if they did a beat on Illmatic, Nas in 2023 has outgrown they’re production style. Doesn’t mean they’re not all time greats. Doesn’t mean they can’t produce heat for others. It just means Nas as an artist mastered and perfected that style of rap by the time he was 17. And he discovered at 23 he could be successful rapping over many different styles of production. Cinematic. Glossy. Dark. Whatever era Hip Hop was in Nas could find a way to shine. And he NEVER looked back. Its high time WE stop looking back as well
prophecypro
Hollywood North
Agree with most of this. Quiet as kept I keep seeing nikkas talking about different "vibes" of these albums and I don't see it. Content wise every recent Nas joint is like 75% talking about the old days in QB and naming various gangsters from that era, and 25% flossin. And repeat.
I'm not mad at that, because I once heard KRS say a dope emcee can make reciting the alphabet sound dope. And that's a fact.
What people see as a lack of hunger from these projects is just Nas being in a good place. He's rich as fukk and happy as shyt. We not ever getting IWW Nas back. nikkas need to deal with it.
I would say Magic 1 at least had him spitting like a person looking at the present for most of it and more direct. I think Magic 2 maybe some people expected to be the same but his rapping is good on it
Kidnap jungle
Get Blue Ivy to talk shyt
Find some washed up QB goons to say Nas can't come back
Hope some of his investments crash
Get Carmen and Kelis on whatever show steph Curry wife be on and have them tag team Nas in disrespect
He is in too good of a space to go back to what the fans(and me)would want
En Sabah Nur
The First
You would kill yourself over a rap album's production?
I'm a fan of most their work together, but yeah at this point I'm
It's wild that Nas/Hitboy probably made more music together than Snoop & Dre or RZA and any Wu member....at this rate they will outdo Prodigy & Havoc
"Premier album still might happen"
Everyone keeps saying Nas doesn't want to rap over those kinds of beats but out of his own mouth he's open to and considering it.
Not every Nas/Primo song was grimy and he's produced a lot of mellow/softer songs. These guys are actual producers not just beat makers. You want a jazz album they're going to dig through jazz records and make you something dope according to the vibe you want. To act like they're locked into a specific sound is selling them way short on their abilities.
I don't see the point in wanting a commercial sound when the music isn't doing anything commercially. I listen to these trap, double time flow, and chick songs and wonder who they're for. Nas is doing underground numbers but making music with mainstream sensibilities.
Nah, saying the beats are experimental is false. There's nothing groundbreaking or left field. The issue with the production is that it sounds rushed. There's some horns, pianos, and strings that feel like stock sounds. It's something you lay down as a guide for a real musician to come in and play an actual instrument. Using "saxophone_2b" out of Fruity Loops is going to result in a flat, soulless sound.
I'm convinced they had a bunch of songs that weren't making the cut for KD4, slapped them together, and released them as Magic 2. This was too low effort for me to believe it was planned as an actual album.
Cranking out music to them has become easy. It's time to look for a challenge, get some new voices in the room, and get a different sound.
prophecypro
Hollywood North
The irony is this sounds the least clean of yjr albums and people called it polish
I think the Magic tapes are always designed to be side things where Nas can just cut loose but I don’t agree it lacks experimentation at least for Nas. That black magic record is different for him